Session with Cecilia Macfarlane

We had a lovely opportunity to work with Cecilia Macfarlane. Sometimes it is really hard to believe, how much information one session can contain. Session with Cecilia was one of them...We were introduced to the concept of dance therapy and 'therapeutic', ways of creating work, compositional aspects and some teaching aspects as well.

To start with, Cecilia's ways of working is quite inspiring, if you notice how she delivers the material, what language she uses, the way she finds the communication and connection with students. It is also very interesting, how she feeds the group of dancing personalities, how little pressure is given, quite little instructions when student is lead to personal solo improvisation, which also are rather comforting and encouraging to work with what is there rather than giving particular scores, corrections or expectations of someone else but the dancer himself. This really felt therapeutic as well as helped to understand the concept of 'therapeutic' in comparison to 'therapy'. It is even more interesting, when she actually explains her intentions, why she chose this particular way of working, this particular piece of music, etc. (can not deny that her chosen piece of music from Pina Bausch's Sacre du Pritempts worked really well for me, possibly because of being familiar and much liked).

The key aspects, that I took from there, was:

• Use of music in therapy and therapeutic work;
• power of listening and power of silence
• Is it head or feeling body that leads you ? maybe this can be shifted for further development?
• about separating something intimate; seeing more objectively; sharing what is yours in artistic work

There are many more little details and ideas, that Cecilia shared with us during this session, highly informing my personal practice as an artist, practitioner and teacher. At the end of the day, how lovely it was to be able to dance allowing the body to express it's own needs in the middle of this very stressful period of time!

Thanks to Cecilia :)

The obstacles for the young pre-professional artist

This entry will be much more of a philosophical thought than analysis of my practice development during the sessions.  

So this year, as every year at University, we had a 3 week break in between two terms. However, for emigrant students like me, who are not getting any kind of loan or other financial support to cover living costs, this time of the year is the very time to earn some money, so i've been working about 80percent of my 3 weeks break time. Although, I wouldn't exactly say, that it wasn't beneficial for my artistic development in any way, as I do not usually dress up as Oompa Loompa in public ;] also, it really was a hard physical work, especially increasing multitasking and co-ordination skills - it is quite a task to balance on one foot whilst leaning over the table pouring hot coffee and holding full pot of boiling tea still behind yourself, so you wouldn't burn yourself or other people close to you. (Do not try it at home ;]]) However, stopping myself from further moaning, I am quite proud of myself for using my only few days off work for resting and writing about 2000 words for my dissertation! (yayyyy) Although I am not quite surprised that I feel extremely exhausted after only first two days back at uni! 

Also, I am not sure if this was caused by an explosion of overwhelmed mind, I recently experienced the change of my attitude - instead of enormous desire and belief of being powerful and able to develop myself in everything I do at the same time (being a superwoman all over the place!), I have turned into the most careless person in the world - 'I'll do everything I have to do without worrying about anything'. Surprisingly, an amazing thing revealed ! I have learned to listen what universe has to offer to me and became open for all the possibilities, and learn the most in the most effortless way possible! I have been constantly told that I need to stop worrying about things and outcome of it, that I just need to let things be and let things happen itself...Believe me, I am not usually one of those people, who are patient enough to wait for things to happen, I tend to get on everything and beat the life hardly to achieve my goals..I really tried to understand the 'letting go and letting be' concept, but only now, when I stopped caring too much, I actually understand what that means. Now I let myself just enjoy the moment and let go of any of the expectations (which the world tried to literally tell me for a while, but I couldn't understand this idea) Therefore ! My dance practice really changed... Instead of having second thoughts about doing things right, worrying about what others, including my teachers, would think of me, how this would affect my grades, etc., I come to class with an attitude, that I have been dancing for a number of years, and I am here to enjoy these skills, and it doesn't matter where it is going to take me or whether I'm actually gonna learn something today. surprisingly, it really works. Since I don't see the sessions as a hard work, I end up rather empowered and energized than as completed the obligation. I find myself observing much more information in this way than ever before.

To sum it all up, I just want to say, that the life is full of surprises, and stopping trying to be perfect, can sometimes reveal more than hard work ! Sometimes we just need to let ourselves be third year's, let ourselves feel mature enough to start fully enjoy the pleasure of dance - this is where all the gathered information settles within the soma and allows our full potential to finally take place! 

Concluding, I wish myself to keep not caring this whole term, that I now really look forwards and am excited about !

p.s. note to myself - remember to acknowledge what will actually be learned, there is a lot of information to come still, at least, note it down !;]

Furthermore, for now I let my head rest from thinking too much about what I am going to do with my life when I finish university - I leave my head open for the answer to come itself; It will come, and I will know when I know that something is the right thing to do or move towards ;]  Need more space in my head for dissertation anyway ;] We only live once ! and we are artists too - we are allowed to be a little crazy and wind blown !

December Entry

December Entry

To be honest, it would not be exactly correct to call it December Entry, because all what is regarding to movement explorations made in December, was actually said and mentioned in November's Entry. However, at the end of term we had group tutorials with Natalie Garrett, which was quite a significant summing up of the current experiences and directions for future development during the second term.

In short, summing up my main areas of development, i can mention seeing and being seen; that reeeealy gained my confidence, and therefore, pleasure in dancing.
also, inhabiting articulation of the spine reached a new level;
even though awareness of the digestive system was not something entirely new, but it really was something really interesting to become aware of once again.

Also, some of terms were explained more during that session, like 'yielding', which was important to understand in order to be available for the coming information, as it seems like there is going to be a lot relation to it.

Shorty summing up my future interests and focuses in my practice, I would mention understanding of the nervous system in particular, finding highest potential of movements by fully inhabiting it - try to go beyond the boundaries of inner attention, even make it physically seen - so that my spectator could feel every cell of my movement ;]]
Also, I am very interested in re-gaining the confidence dancing closely to other bodies after my little trauma in the head.

Not going into too much detail, I am excited in continuing my exploration and development of my practice.

God bless me with health and persistence during the second term ;]